A SAD SITUATION

By Trevor Wanliss

WITH the elections around the corner, Portia announces that she will spend $635M to give 12,000 people jobs over the next few months. Isn’t this another method of presenting the pork barrel? Isn’t this another Crash Program? How can there be any hope of economic development for Jamaica, as such expenditures do not contribute anything to the G.D.P.

The people need jobs, yes to take care of their families… to put food on the table, to send their children to school, for clothing and other amenities. All this, never came to their minds, since the last General Elections, nor to her for the 17 years in office, only now. There was so much complacency for the “Gully Bank System". To win an election, by picking out 12,000 people at an average income of approximately $53,000 might be to some satisfying. What of the time between the coming elections and the other 5 years to come.

The people of Jamaica have been suffering too long, languishing in poverty, as no provision has been made to give especially the children, proper education. Most people are kept at a standard given crumbs that the can be manipulated at election times like now. They should have nipped corruption in the bud. The rest of those in the UDC should be fired. Just look at the reports. Aren’t the Auditor General and the Contractor General reliable and responsible persons?

The Commerce minister, the Foreign Trade Minister, in conjunction with the Finance and the Agriculture minister should have been seeking markets abroad for the products of the farmers, especially, in order for them to have had gainful returns, instead to having the greater portions of their crops rotting in the field, not having market to take it off. In July of 1998 at the Jamaica Conference center in Kingston as the Gleaner carries the Minister of Agriculture in a speech condemning the Jamaican Workers as “the laziest people on earth". They have said it then and they are capable of repeating it again. The people need training in the production sector.

The P.M speaks that Omar is balancing the books. For many years he has failed in balancing the books properly. An escalating balance of payment like a "Run-a-way Train". This balancing will never be accomplished. You are only hearing of COST OVER RUN. The Economy is vital, Health care is vital, Education is vital, Security is vital. Abolish the Gully Bank system.

All this is Primitive.Abolish the oppressive bank interest rates. Give the Private Sector a more recognizable role in moving the economy forward. Government in lassez faire fashion to come in only when there is need to correct the in adequacies.

A JLP Government with a Golding lead Administration, is the only hope for improved educational system, for better health care facilities , for improved security, for improved Economic conditions where there will be attractive investments both local and foreign, that JAMAICANS and not Foreigners will be able to get jobs instead of standinng outside the work place looking in.

A sad situation.

[Get in touch with Trevor Wanliss, the Envoy/Coordinator for the JLP in North America, P.O. Box 2092 Stone Mtn. Ga. 30086 and become a direct Overseas member]